BANGKOK, 16 May 2015, The Commerce Ministry is planning to keep track of private hospitals fees, in its bid to prevent them from overcharging their foreign clients.
Director General of the Department of Internal Trade Boonyarit Kalayanamit said the measures came after his meeting with the Ministry of Public Health yesterday, following a deluge of complaints about the issue.
Currently, the only existing law related to the problem is the 1999 Consumer Protection law, which requires business operators to clearly display the prices of their products and services.
Yesterday’s meeting also agreed on the establishment of a committee setting the median prices of medication. The topic would be brought to the attention of the national drugs council.
Another measure to be put in place is to set the median prices for medical service fees, treating it as a commodity product price control, the director general said, adding that such a policy can be issued under the ministry’s authority.
Both measures are expected to be discussed and concluded within a month’s time.
